| Sylvan Street and Van Nuys Boulevard via Google maps’ street view. |
||||||||||||
|
Feb. 23, 1911: The Times says, “There are few more beautiful sites for a city anywhere than that which lies in the San Fernando Valley, at the gateway of Los Angeles. Fifteen miles from the city's center as the crow flies, its setting is the largest tract of undeveloped land near a great city in the world; its background the green-carpeted and rolling hills of scenic beauty unexcelled in all the Southland.” Notice the names mentioned in a Feb. 23, 1934, story marking the 23rd anniversary of Van Nuys: William Mulholland, W.P. Whitsett, and, yes, The Times’ Harry Chandler. Referring to staff poet John Steven McGroarty, The Times; 1934 story said: "He was there at the first birthday party and he hoped he would be there for the party fifty years from now. But if he were elsewhere, if he and some of the others were not there fifty years from now, they would gather together at the ramparts of heaven and look down upon the little homes in the San Fernando Valley and be happy at the sight he was sure to behold." Here’s a curiosity: The 1911 story refers to the junction of Virginia Street and Sherman Way. If Virginia Street became Sylvan, as sources indicate, these streets would be parallel. Perhaps The Times reporter meant Van Nuys Boulevard, as indicated in a 1984 caption. |
|
|
ladailymirror.com 
Sherman Way was once 4 different streets: East Sherman Way became Chandler Boulevard, North and South Sherman Way were renamed Van Nuys Boulevard, and West Sherman Way became Sherman Way. So Virginia and Sherman Way did intersect, but today they are Sylvan and Van Nuys Blvd.
LikeLike
Evidently dreary from the start and remains so to this day.
LikeLike
Sherman Way was named after M. H. Sherman, who along with E. P. Clark , virtually monopolized street and trolley car lines in and around Los Angeles. They would also buy up land near their lines to later develop. They did this with Hollywoodland in 1923, and Harry Chandler was their partner in that project as well as all the others, thanks to all the “free” advertising they received in the way of continuous stories about the projects in the LA Times.
LikeLike
If memory serves originally the entire stretch of Chandler Boulevard, Van Nuys Boulevard and Sherman Way westward to Marion (Reseda) and Canoga Park (Owensmouth?) was known as Sherman Way. So, technically, the reporter was correct in identifying the north/south street as Sherman Way.
LikeLike
I know, I know, I should have read the other comments first.
LikeLike